Sky Sports pundit David Prutton has said he expecting to see an exciting match when Aston Villa play host to Sheffield United on Saturday.

Steve Bruce’s side come into the clash off the back of a disappointing 2-0 defeat to fellow play off hopefuls Derby County last weekend, leaving them sitting in fifth, four points behind the Rams and level on points with this weekend’s opponents United.

The Blades are also coming into the match after having suffered defeat last time out, Preston snatching a 1-0 win to dent the club’s hopes of climbing up the table from sixth after what has been an awful run of form for the club.

They have not won a game since the middle of November, going five games without a win and picking up just a solitary point from a possible 15, and could see themselves fall out of the top six this weekend, with Leeds United, Ipswich Town and Preston all able to leapfrog them.

With the two sides level on points, Prutton says that he is expecting there to be goals at Villa Park on Saturday, but that they will end up sharing the points.

Predicting a 2-2, the pundit wrote on Sky Sports’ website: “It had been a while Villa lost a game so that defeat at Derby last week, especially considering they’re another promotion rival, was a bit of a setback for Steve Bruce’s side.

“Sheffield United, meanwhile, are now on an absolutely dreadful run of form and there’s a decent chance they could slip out of the play-off places here.

“I think there will be goals here but I can’t split the sides.”

The last match between the club’s ended 2-1 in favour of the Blades at Villa Park, with the Villans, then in the Premier League, dumped out of the FA Cup by the then-League One side.